It’s never a matter of records, injuries or timing when Wyoming plays Colorado State. It’s the Border War, and that brings out the intensity in both teams, no matter what issues they might have.
Tonight’s meeting of the Wyoming and CSU men’s basketball teams in Fort Collins just happens to be their first Mountain West Conference game of the season, however.
CSU is coming off a stretch of playing seven games over a 13-day period. Rams coach Tim Miles was still fuming Monday that his 10-4 team couldn’t put away Hampton on Saturday to win the Hilltop Challenge in San Francisco.
“We beat ourselves,” he said.
Leading scorer and rebounder Andy Ogide has no doubt the Rams will rediscover the form that helped them win the pre-Christmas Cancun Governor’s Cup. Ogide was the tournament’s MVP.
“It was definitely tiring (playing in back-to-back tournaments on the road),” he said, “but this being the Border War, we’ll have more energy.”
The Rams lost to Hampton 77-75 on a last-second 3-pointer, snapping their six-game winning streak.
“They caught us a little off guard. We had a little fatigue,” said Ogide, who is averaging 15.7 points and 7.4 rebounds. “We have to find a way to win no matter how tired we are.”
The Rams, who are much deeper than in recent seasons, should contend for an upper-division finish in the MWC.
Wyoming, led by fourth-year coach Heath Schroyer, is 7-7. Injuries have slowed the Cowboys’ progress.
As for the Rams, Schroyer said, “This is the best team they’ve had in the four years I’ve been here.”
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
